The Dry Brine
Dry brining is the single biggest upgrade you can make to air-fried proteins. Unlike a wet brine that waterloads the meat, a dry brine seasons from the inside out while actively drying the surface — which is exactly what you want for the hot, circulating air in an air fryer.
The process is dead simple: coat the protein in kosher salt, put it on a rack in the fridge uncovered, and wait. The salt pulls moisture to the surface, dissolves into it, and then the meat reabsorbs that concentrated brine. Meanwhile, the fridge air dries the skin. The result is deeply seasoned meat with a surface primed to crisp.
Pro tips
Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt — it's less dense than Morton's, so it's harder to over-salt.
If you only have an hour, it's still worth doing. Even a short brine beats no brine.
The wire rack matters — it lets air circulate under the meat too.
Don't dry brine fish longer than 30 minutes. It'll get mushy.
Discussion
Tried this technique? Have a variation that works? Join the conversation.
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